For My Home Addition, May I Work Alongside My Contractor?

My planned home addition will bump out two exterior walls of an unused bedroom in my Utica, NY, home. I'm pretty handy with tools and would enjoy working hands-on with the licensed contractor I hire (deferring to his greater experience.) Is that possible?

Craig N. ~ Utica, New York

Yes, it is possible. Make sure that when you are selecting your contractor that you explain, right away, your idea of working with him/her on your project. Keep in mind that you will be working on a team that may have been working together for years.

For you to integrate into the team could be tricky for them, because they will not know what your skill levels are and how to assign tasks accordingly. Often times by trying to be involved in your own project, you may actually slow things down.

Working on your own home is very rewarding, the key here is to maintain a very open channel of communication with whomever you choose for your project so that you can be involved as much as possible and add value.